Issue - meetings

Please note that the Strategy referred to in the report has been appended seperately.

The Board received a report on the second Haringey Domestic Violence and Gender Based Violence Strategy, covering 2008-2012. The new strategy differed from the first Haringey Domestic Violence Strategy for 2004-2008 in that Gender Based Violence was now included, including issues such as rape and sexual assault, trafficking and sexual exploitation, Female Genital Mutilation and forced marriage. The Board was advised of the four key strategic priorities:

·                    Improve the support and safety of those who experience or are threatened by Domestic or Gender Based Violence.

·                    Further reduce the tolerance of Domestic Violence and Gender Based Violence in our local communities.

·                    Hold abusers accountable.

·                    Further increase children and young people’s safety and welfare.

The Board asked what plans were in place to reach communities whose cultural practices included practices that constituted Gender Based Violence, and how awareness that these practices were criminal offences could be developed. It was reported that a number of community-based initiatives were underway to provide information and to encourage and facilitate women to come forward with information, and that the work was taking place with schools to help staff and other professionals identify signs that practices such as FGM were taking place. Any further suggestions of how to address this issue would be welcomed.

Concern was raised regarding the over-representation of Black Caribbean and African residents among Hearthstone clients for 2007-08. While it was acknowledged that this could be a result of positive support networks within the community enabling people to feel confident in approaching hearthstone, it was felt that this issue should be explored further. It was suggested that ways of exploring and addressing this issue be discussed with faith organisations as a first step.

The Board thanked everyone involved in producing the strategy for their hard work.

RESOLVED

i)                    That the strategic aims of the Domestic Violence and Gender Based Violence Strategy be approved.

ii)                  That the actions to be completed to implement this Strategy be approved.

iii)                That the achievements of the first Haringey Domestic Violence Strategy be noted.